Kraft external communications manager Tony Bilsborough told the Holmes Report that the review will aim to “build a combined roster” of PR agencies that the company can call on for all of its various food brands.

Incumbent firms have been invited to respond to the RFI. These include Cadbury firms Red Consultancy and Pretty Green, and Kraft agencies Hill & Knowlton and GolinHarris.

Bilsborough added that a number of new firms had also been invited to take part in the process but declined to disclose their identities. He said that the budget associated with the roster would be in the “multi-million pound” range.

American conglomerate Kraft bought iconic UK confectionary group Cadbury last year for £11.5 billion. The integration of the two companies has proceeded over the past 18 months, with the marketing teams combined at the end of June this year.

“With all of these various categories, it was felt important to integrate the agencies and build a combined roster,” said Bilsborough, who headed comms at Cadbury prior to the deal. “What we want to do is build a roster which has the capabilities to provide a professional service to all of the categories and which allows the brand managers from whichever category to choose across the board.”

“It’s simply bringing a greater degree of order to the roster rather than have each agency operating in isolation.”

The RFI phase will be followed by a formal RFP, with the process expected to complete over the “next few months”, added Bilsborough. Once the roster is finalised, agencies will be expected to pitch for projects.

In addition to Cadbury brands such as Dairy Milk, Wispa and Bournville, Kraft’s key brands include Jacobs, Milka, Orea and Trident. Earlier this month, the company confirmed it would separate its global snacks arm (including Cadbury) from its US grocery business.

Last year, Kraft named Blue Rubicon to support its corporate and public affairs needs after earlier seeking comms advice from Edelman during the Cadbury purchase.